Letters: Council decision prolongs velodrome procrastination

Whanganui District Council has decided not to set aside money for a velodrome roof. Photo / NZME

Trying to inform the council and receive a fair hearing is like banging your head against a brick wall.

It ignores globally accepted economic principles (NPV, multipliers) as well as existing examples within New Zealand such as Cambridge's Avantidrome and Dunedin's Forsyth Barr Stadium.

The council also ignores potential revenues likely to not increase rates at all and was going to put an amateur cycling club in charge to keep expenditure down to an absolute minimum - until canning the roofing idea completely.

The council also importantly takes no account at all of economic benefit to the Whanganui region ...

Worst of all, six councillors ignored what the majority of their voters, submitters and the Whanganui public including ratepayers want.

Let a trust buy the venue from the council and operate what would become a multipurpose facility - much like Sport Whanganui already operating the two stadia at Springvale Park.

It's time to end this inability to make a proper decision. Give it to another group to manage properly.

In my opinion, the council has a history of ruining many of the things it touches. This issue is no different - if anything it's worse – there's an absolute lack of vision.

Councillor Josh is right - housing is in crisis. But in my opinion, his is a naive idealism in that it's government that must take the lead, work in partnership with local government - not the other way round.

In the end, the council never really made any improvements on its housing policy when it had the opportunity, despite so much rhetoric on the day.

There should be room in our headspace and spend for both housing and the velodrome, not simply for either/or but for both.

A new track simply prolongs the procrastination and doesn't get around the weather issue. [Abridged]

MARTIN VISSER
Whanganui

Policing disability parks

A year or so ago I penned a letter to the Chronicle about the use of disability car parks by non-disabled persons.

It seemed to me at that time that there was an identifiable group of miscreants abusing this concession.

Today I decided to spend a few dollars at the supermarket, only to find that all the disability parks were taken and thus had to park "miles" away.

I recovered a trolley and paused outside the main entrance shaking my head in disbelief at the three vehicles not showing a disability card in that specific area.

A bloke came up to me and asked what my problem was. In very impolite terms I mentioned the lack of respect for these restricted parking areas. Instantly we were mates!

He has complained to various overseers of such sites and received the same response as I have. Basically, "not our problem".

Yes, I have been verbally assaulted by a few persons that I have accosted over this practice, followed by the middle-finger salute.

Who is responsible for policing these car parks or is the whole issue just a load of crap and only there to meet a social requirement?

D PARTNER
Eastown

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